Why “La Famiglia e Tutto” (Family is Everything)
Sicilians have a saying—La Famiglia e Tutto (Family is Everything)—and they live by what they say.
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Whatever Happened to Beggar’s Night?
I have to wonder why the holiday is no longer popular in more Buffalo communities.
Why I Wrote a “Love Letter” to Buffalo
I wanted to begin a narrative that would trace the city’s arc from the first warning signs of a collapsing economy to its eventual rebirth and revitalization.
Beyond the Library: The Quiet Evolution of Literary Buffalo
When visiting the city earlier this month, I learned that over the past half-century, Buffalo has become quite the literary town.
Publishing My West Side Story: It’s About to Get Real
Like every would-be author discovers, if writing a book isn’t difficult enough, the ordeal of trying to get it published tests all one’s powers of endurance.
Merry West Side Christmas
Grandma was happiest surrounded by loved ones on Christmas.
The Bodacious Gardens of Buffalo
When I was growing up on the West Side, little did I know that my crowded, urban neighborhood would one day host the biggest, most beautiful Garden Walk in America.
Change is Gonna Come
When I go home to Buffalo, I never pass up an opportunity to visit my old neighborhood on the Upper West Side. Photo courtesy of Maria Eley.
Empty Playgrounds
Friday was one of those beautiful June days, when the sun kisses the skin with just the right amount of warmth and gives the landscape sharp edges. When I was young, it was the kind of day that flung me out of the house and into the street as if I was attached to the […]
Gardens That Heal
Last summer I visited an old friend: the Botanical Gardens in the south of Buffalo. I’d had a tough year, with multiple loved ones suffering a variety of serious illnesses, and I needed a respite from the stress. My son and his girlfriend, knowing I’m a Master Gardener, suggested we visit the Botanical Gardens and […]
Chestnut Time at the Armory
One of my favorite memories growing up in Buffalo was the annual trip my brothers and I would take each fall to collect chestnuts at the Connecticut Street Armory. At least, we thought they were chestnuts.
Let Me Introduce Myself
Please call me Moxie. No, it’s not the name I was given at birth. It was bestowed upon me late one night after a drinking contest in a bar…but that’s a story for another day. Suffice it to say it is the name I prefer to be called. Here are a few things you should […]